Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-29
SEA COAST DEFENSEs.
The DeI7uniak Convention Feb. g.
The First Districts Delegate.

The First DISTRICTS Delegate.
The Southern Coast Defense COnven-
{ n will meet at DeFuniak Springs. Fla,
J b. 8. An Atlanta dispatch to the
MORNING NEWS yesterday announced
the Governors appointment OF delegates
from the State at large and from the Con-
tessional districts. Capt. Robert Fail
CANT IS the delegate from the First Con-
gre57iyu2l district
ia. cu. the convention is signed by
prominent citizens Of New Orleans, Mo-
bile. Pensacola, Cedar Keys, Key West,
st. Augustine, Jacksonville, Brunswick,
Charleston. Port Royal, Wilmington, and
other seauott cities. 1t reads: ave re-
gard with alarm the unprotected cOndi-
ZION OF our cities, which, in their present
defenseless state render them, and our
homes, liable TO destruction, or to the eX-
action of Il tribute equally as rulnOus IN
the event of war. TINS feeling Of alarm
is intensified by the humiliatlng fact that
a single gunbOat OF any third rate power
may take possession Of and destroy
any Oae Of our seaport cities,
while We are unable TO defend,
or offer successful resistance. While the
nation has experienced long blessing Of
peace we cannot always expect this boon,
and it Is imperative that our ports be
placed in a state of defense which would
alone have tendency to avert war. We
therefore recommend that convention
be held a DeFuniak Springs, Fla, a CEN
trail and convenient point, to convene
Feb. 3, 1887, to counsel as to the best
method of securing protection for our
coast, based upon modern requirements.
We recommend that His EXcellency
President Cleveland, the Hon
oraDle Secretaries of War and
Navy, both the Committees of
Congress on Military and Naval af-
fairs. Gen. Gilmore and Capt. Green, OF
the United states Army, Gen. Newton,
Hon. S. 5. Cox, OF New York, and others
be invited to attend. Also the Governors
OF North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor-
gIa, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
lana and Texas, with four delegates at
large. and one from each Congress ional
district appointed by the Governors OF the
above States, and delegates from the
cities OF the coast States. We would
gladly include all coast States. out in a
country OF such vast distance each sec
non should move in convention or other
WISE"
The sipners Of the call in Savannah are
apt. d. q. Purse, Capt. James B. West,
Capt. J. X. Clarke, ;. p. Hamilton, Her
man Myers and j. ID. Weed.
Capt. Falligant said last night that he
knows very little concerning the measures
which it is proposed to adopt, but he is In
favor Of giving the United States the
strongest coast defense of any country in
the world. The southern coast Is almost
without any defense against invasion by
a naval force IN event of war, and he be-
lieves that the government Ougrt to pro-
tact the seaport cities. Toe most OF
them, with their present inadequate de-
lenses, could offer no resistance at all 10
an armed fleet and would fall under the
Hrst gun that is fired.
Capt. Falljgant has not yet received
official notice Of his appointment as dele
gate to DeFuniak, He stated, however,
that while he has not taken any part 10
the movement to secure the defense OF the
southern coast, he is heartily in sympa-
thy with il and Will aid in any way the
measures which IL is proposed to adopt.